Kamehameha Schools sued over sex abuse
Honolulu attorney Michael Green filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Kamehameha Schools that claims the school didn’t protect its students from a psychiatrist who allegedly molested them.
The eight plaintiffs in the lawsuit attended Kamehameha Schools in the 1970s and had been ordered to see Dr. Robert Browne, a pyschiatrist at St. Francis hospital. They filed the suit because of a state law that extends the statute of limitations in child sex abuse cases.
Kamehameha spokesman Kekoa Paulsen said, "These are very serious allegations. We have not yet seen what was filed, so we cannot comment at this time."
Green said Browne would take boys into his office or his home, show them pornography and fondle their genitals. He said Browne abused children for years and probably had hundreds of victims. Browne shot and killed himself in 1991 after a former student confronted him about the abuse over the phone, Green said.
He said Kamehameha Schools is responsible because it ordered children with problems to see Browne and threatened to expel them if they didn’t. He said at least one employee at Kamehameha Schools knew that Browne was molesting students.
Many of the victims have been left with psychological problems, he said.
UHPA throws support behind Abercrombie
The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly on Tuesday endorsed Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s re-election campaign.
The union, which represents about 4,000 university faculty, had also supported Abercrombie four years ago.
"Gov. Abercrombie has always supported education," David Duffy, the union’s president, said in a statement. "He has been in our shoes so he understands our issues. He’s gotten us through the recent rough times and we know he’ll continue to lay the educational foundation for Hawaii’s future generations to prosper."
Abercrombie, a one-time teaching assistant at UH, is facing state Sen. David Ige in the Democratic primary.
Terror suspect sought by FBI on Big Island
Agents are canvassing Hawaii island areas including Puna and Pahoa for a 36-year-old man who is on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list.
A reward of $250,000 has been offered by the FBI for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Daniel Andreas San Diego, who is being sought in connection with terrorist bombings of two California buildings.
Spokesman Tom Simon said the FBI has received credible intelligence that San Diego might be on Hawaii island.
San Diego, an alleged animal rights extremist, was indicted in October 2003 in connection with two bombings in California. On Aug. 28, 2003, two bombs exploded about one hour apart on the campus of a biotechnology corporation in Emeryville. And on Sept. 26, 2003, a bomb strapped with nails exploded at a nutritional products corporation in Pleasanton.
San Diego has ties to a group called Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, which opposes animal research conducted by Huntingdon Life Sciences, Simon said. The bombings are believed connected to contracts the two companies had for research services with Huntingdon.
In April 2009, San Diego was the first domestic terrorist added to the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list.
Simon advised the public to call the FBI and not try to detain San Diego. Anyone with information may call the FBI’s Honolulu office at 566-4300.
